A former vice president of the National Basketball Players Association was arrested Wednesday and added to a criminal case accusing 18 former NBA players of illegally pocketing millions of dollars by cheating on the league’s health and welfare plan.
The rewritten indictment added Keyon Dooling to the case, which was first brought in October when federal officials said a number of former NBA players collectively collected about $2.5 million from the benefits plan.
Dooling, who was a union official for eight years and eventually became its first vice president, was among three people added to the indictment on Wednesday. Dooling, now an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz organization, spent portions of 13 seasons in the NBA as a member of seven different teams.
In a statement, the Jazz said Dooling alerted the club to the charges on Wednesday morning.
Keyon Dooling (right) with jazz star Donovan MitchellGetty Images
“This is about his time with the National Basketball Players Association before he joined our organization. He was placed on paid administrative leave,” the Jazz said. “Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we refrain from further comment.”
The Jazz play Thursday at home Game 6 of their Western Conference first round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.
Dooling was arrested in Utah on Wednesday, officials said.
Also added to the indictment were a doctor and a dentist, who officials said are medical providers who support the program.
Officials said Dooling was “allegedly involved in the plan and recruited other co-conspirators to join the plan.”
Dooling played for the Grizzlies NBAE in 2013 via Getty Images
All have been charged with healthcare fraud and cable conspiracy for a scam that authorities say stretched from at least 2017 to 2020.
In October, a prosecutor said each defendant made false claims ranging from $65,000 to $420,000.
Wednesday’s updated indictment said Dooling illegally pocketed approximately $350,000 in plan proceeds. In all, about $5 million in false claims was filed, although claimants did not receive that much proceeds.
Dooling was previously the union’s wellness adviser and helped oversee the mental health and wellness department. He also wrote a book in 2014 in which, among other things, he talked about how he struggled with stress after being sexually abused as a child.
“Health is everything,” Dooling said in an interview after the book was published. “It has to be your top priority, health of all kinds, mind and body.”